Survey: One-quarter of UW-Madison women undergrads sexually assaulted

More than one in four female undergraduates at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who participated in a national survey said they had been sexually assaulted since entering college, often by a friend or acquaintance.

And two-thirds of those who reported forced penetration said the offender had been drinking alcohol, according to results released Monday by the university.

The survey defined sexual assault as penetration, attempted penetration and/or sexual touching without consent. Consent is defined as a clear "yes" — not the absence of a "no."

Alcohol involvement in a sexual assault was cited by nearly 10% more UW-Madison respondents than the survey's national average. The incidence of sexual assault reported by UW-Madison female undergrads also was slightly above the national average.

The survey with more than 150,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional student respondents at 27 universities confirms what has long been known: Sexual violence is a serious problem at UW-Madison and campuses nationwide. It affects students of all genders and sexual orientations, said Sarah Van Orman, chair of a task force managing the survey and executive director of University Health Services.

Of the 27.6% of UW-Madison female undergrads who said they had been sexually assaulted since entering college, 12.6% said they experienced penetration or attempted penetration by force or incapacitation.

Undergraduates reported the greatest incidence of sexual assault during freshman and sophomore years.

"The question on the mind of every parent dropping their son or daughter off at college is always, 'Will they be safe here?'" UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said during a Monday news conference broadcast via social media.

"I want to state unambiguously that every student has the right to be safe," the chancellor said, adding that sexual assault concerns her deeply not just as the leader of a university, but as the mother of a college sophomore.

More than half (58.3%) of those who indicated they were sexually assaulted said they suffered academically as well as personally, reporting difficulty concentrating on studies, Blank said.

Nationally, nearly one in four (23.1%) women undergrad respondents at the 27 universities that participated in the Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force, threats of physical force or incapacitation since they enrolled. The incidence among male undergraduate students was 5.4%.

Critics of such surveys suggest that because respondents are a self-selected sample, those who have experienced sexual assault may be more likely to participate than those who have not, which could skew the results.

All students 18 or older at the state's flagship campus were sent an email link to the survey, which was conducted by the American Association of Universities. The survey period was April 13 to May 1.

More than 22% of UW-Madison students responded to the survey, and female students were more likely to respond than males.

The survey reflects the reported experience of 8,972 UW-Madison students.

UW-Madison was one of six Big Ten schools that chose to participate. The others were Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, University of Michigan and University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Fewer than half of all AAU member universities took part.

Among the findings specific to UW-Madison:

■Undergraduate women are most vulnerable. More than one in four (27.6%) undergraduate female students reported experiencing nonconsensual penetration or sexual touching by force or incapacitation.

■Perpetrators are overwhelmingly identified as fellow students who are male, often a friend or acquaintance.

■Alcohol is a common factor. Three-fourths (76.1%) of female students who experienced nonconsensual penetration by force said the offender had been drinking, compared to the national average of 67%. Nearly 74.6% of the females reporting they had been sexually assaulted said they consumed alcohol; the national average was 65.4%. Campus officials are quick to emphasize that alcohol use alone is not a cause of sexual assault, nor is it considered an excuse for sexual assault.

Perhaps equally concerning is that more than half (53.3%) of survey respondents said they had witnessed a drunk person heading for a sexual encounter.

■Sexual assault and sexual misconduct often go unreported to campus officials, but victims often confide in fellow students.

Nationally, rates of reporting were low, ranging from 5% to 28%, depending on the specific type of behavior.

When students were asked why they did not report incidents of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, the most common reason was that it was not considered serious enough. Other reasons included because they were "embarrassed, ashamed or that it would be too emotionally difficult," and because they "did not think anything would be done about it."

Over the last several years, UW-Madison has added programs and resources for preventing sexual violence, supporting survivors and ensuring fair investigations.

These include: "Tonight," a prevention program about sexual assault, consent, dating violence and stalking that has been required for all new undergraduate students since the fall of 2014; a Title IX coordinator; creation of an office of compliance, as well as the addition of special investigators to assist with Title IX investigations; and a position to provide confidential victim advocacy.

UW-Madison also has promoted the national "It's on US" sexual assault campaign focused on bystander intervention, and recognizing danger signals when a student may be at risk for an assault.

The UW-Madison Police Department this fall launched a "Don't Be That Guy" campaign, targeting perpetrators, and relaunched its "Tell Us" campaign for victims.

"At the end of the day, we need to engage everyone in the discussion," Blank said. "Safety is a shared responsibility."

A campus task force has issued a number of recommendations to further enhance these efforts. Those include adding a "second dose" of "Tonight" later in the fall semester, incorporating bystander intervention training into prevention programs and increasing the availability of confidential victim advocacy services.